Towers, which are the main type of wind turbine supports currently used, have several drawbacks. The wind power energy production is most effective in areas with strong and dependable winds. Mountainous and rocky areas, such as gaps, passes, gorges, cliff seashores, etc., of specific topographic and meteorological features, are especially prospective. However, towers are not acceptable for such areas: the costs of the towers, and associated construction works, and wind turbine maintenance are very high, which makes energy production ineffective. At now, wind turbines are usually sited at relatively plane terrain even where local winds are of much less power. Then, effectiveness of wind energy production depends on elevation of the turbines above the ground: the higher the stronger winds can be captured. In current practice, base on cost-effectiveness of tower supports, wind turbines are installed not higher than 70-75 m. above the ground, even though such heights are usually out of strong and dependable winds zones.
Several attempts to overcome the above drawbacks were undertaken by placing turbines in mountainous terrain, using suspended supports. One of the attempts was to exploit of structural principles developed for system of suspended supports for aerial transportation means (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,655,457 and 6,665,641). As it is disclosed in the Patents, the system included a long-span cable placed along the transportation route. One of its ends is anchored and another is attached to tensioning means. Rigid elements spaced apart, supporting the transportation means are carried by the cable and connected to upper ends of substantially vertical, slightly angled guy ropes. The guy ropes' lower ends are anchored in the ground. The cable carries vertical loads, mostly weight of installations, and the guy ropes carry lateral loads generated by winds.
Being effective for aerial transportation means the system, however, is unable to meet some of the requirements for carrying wind turbines, the most important of which is providing full-circle rotation of turbines about their supports.